Leaves and the axillary meristems that generate branches and flowers are initiated in regular patterns from the shoot apical meristem (SAM). The cells of the shoot apical meristem summit serve as stem cells that divide to continuously displace daughter cells to the surrounding regions, where they are incorporated into differentiated leaf or flower primordia. The meristems are thus capable of regulating their size during development by balancing cell proliferation with the incorporation of cells into new primordia. The SAM provides all aerial parts of plant body. The central concept of stem cells regulation is known by the signal pathway of CLAVATA/WUSCHEL (CLV/WUS) genes. Loss of CLV1, CLV2, or CLV3 activity in Arabidopsis causes accumulation of undifferentiated cells in the shoot apex, indicating that CLV genes together promote the timely transition of stem cells into differentiation pathways, or repress stem cell division, or both (Fletcher et al. (1999) Science 283:1911-1914; Taguchi-Shiobare et al. (2001) Genes and Development 15:2755-5766; and, Trotochaud et al. (1999) Plant Cell 11:393-405; Merton et al. (1954) Am. J. Bot. 41:726-32 and Szymkowiak et al. (1992) Plant Cell 4:1089-100; Yamamoto et al. (2000) Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1491:333-40). The maize orthologues of CLV1/2 are TD1 and FEA2, that have been reported (Taguchi-Shiobara et al. (2001) Genes Dev. 65 15:2755-66). It is desirable to be able to control the size and appearance of shoot and floral meristems, to give increased yields of leaves, flowers, and fruit. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide novel methods and compositions for the modulation of meristem development.